


April 27, 2011

by Skyler10



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Love, Pete's World, Romance, SO FLUFFY, TARDIS - Freeform, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 02:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6638107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyler10/pseuds/Skyler10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose thinks Tentoo has forgotten her birthday. She couldn’t be more wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	April 27, 2011

**Author's Note:**

> Pure romance/fluff for the TimePetals prompt “birthdays/celebrations.” Credit/inspiration for the end by the great @TinyConfusion.

If her boyfriend were a normal human male, Rose would have teased him about his forgetfulness. She would have rolled her eyes and poked him in the side, like she did about so many other things.

But she forgave his absentmindedness without remark, at least when it came to losing track of the hour and not remembering important dates.

When the Lord of Time becomes part-human but makes peace with it for your sake because there’s nothing he loves as much as you, including all those things that make him alien… you learn to forgive and hold him that much closer at night.

So Rose wasn’t sad (or at least, was trying not to be sad) that he hadn’t even mentioned her birthday tomorrow.

They had too many types of anniversaries to celebrate one as “theirs” – the day they met, closely followed by the night she came aboard the TARDIS, their “first date,” the first time they had to pretend to be married, their first real kiss, their first accidental wedding on an alien planet, her promise to stay with him forever, his promise to grow old together once they landed in this universe, the first time they made love… She wasn’t sure exactly how or when they became an official couple, but somewhere along the way, it just became easier to agree when people assumed and to introduce each other as “my boyfriend” and “my girlfriend” since that’s what everyone called them anyway.

So now she was left wondering how much her part-alien boyfriend remembered about this particular upcoming day and if she should remind him. Would it be kinder to not expect him to know? Or would that make it worse? If there _was_ a way to remind him without hurting him or bringing up old baggage, she had no idea what that would be. Perhaps she should have her mum call and hint…

* * *

“If you don’t mind, and have a spare, um… can I have an extra box, please?” The Doctor ducked his head and tugged his ear, worried about how odd his question must have sounded to the jeweler. Luckily, the bloke didn’t say a thing, but slid across the counter an identical – but empty – box to the tiny one the Doctor had just purchased.

“Does she know?” An elderly woman who had been examining brooches turned to him and smiled.

“Nope!” The Doctor beamed. “Not a clue. Complete surprise. I’ve got an entire weekend set out for us, and she has no idea.”

The woman laughed. “Sure about that?”

“Pretty sure… Why?” His face fell as he searched his memory for anything that could have spoiled his plan.

“Oh, just that we women tend to know much more than our men think we do.”

“Well. That _does_ sound like my Rose,” the Doctor agreed with a grumble.

“Ah now, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want you to sweep her off her feet anyway. What _did_ you tell her about this weekend of yours?”

“Nothing!” he insisted. “Probably just assumes we’re going over to her parents’ for her birthday dinner.”

The jeweler leaned over the counter, now involved in the conversation. “Oooo, it’s her birthday and she doesn’t think you have any plans?”

The Doctor swallowed as he took in the pitying face of the old woman and the concerned raised eyebrows of the jeweler.

“Is that bad?” The color drained out of the Doctor’s face. “Does she think I _forgot_?!”

The bloke was nodding now while the old woman shrugged in apology for opening his eyes to this obvious truth.

“Um… I have to go.” The Doctor rushed out of the shop with his precious purchase. His plans could be put into motion tonight instead of tomorrow if he rushed. All he needed was a tiny gift bow for the top of the box and a quick trip out to the TARDIS where it was growing in the back garden…

* * *

“Thanks, Mum, and tell Tony to feel better soon, alright?” Rose sighed into the phone. “Nah, it’ll be nice, just the two of us. Romantic. We’ll do a proper sit-down once everyone’s well again. Yes, I promise, it’s fine! Love you too.”

The Doctor arrived back home just in time to hear Rose ring off.

“Was that Jackie?” He found her in the kitchen where she was fixing dinner and kissed her temple.

“Yeah, no going over there tomorrow, I’m afraid. Tony brought home the stomach flu from school, and she thinks she’s coming down with it as well.” She stopped stirring a boiling pot of something to turn around and face him as she talked.

“Oh Rose, I’m so sorry! And on your birthday too.” He pulled her into a hug, just in case he couldn’t fake a sympathetic look as well as he thought he could. She was always supernaturally good at reading his emotions, no matter how hard he tried to hide them. And considering he had literal centuries of practice, that was really saying something.

“Eh, it’s alright. We can always wait and celebrate with them later.”

“So this is ok then? Just you and me?”

“Yeah.” Her lips twitched up but she held back a chuckle.

“What?” he asked. She shook her head. “Rose… What?”

“Nothing. Just thought you might’ve forgot,” she confessed and lowered her head sheepishly.

“’Course not! Time Lord brain, remember?”

He had tried to explain this to her, of course, but in practicality, the lines between what was the same and what had become human in this new body seemed to blur.

“Sorry for doubting you,” she said softly, raising a hand to brush through his hair and stroke his cheek on the way down.

He kissed her – firm but brief – and grinned. “Just let me drop off this spare part in the TARDIS, and I’ll be right in to start your birthday weekend extraordinaire!” 

She giggled and waved him off. “Go on. But don’t be long. This pasta’s almost ready.”

* * *

Once he was safely inside the blue box (nostalgic young thing, she was) and out of view of the kitchen window, the Doctor smiled in delight at his own cleverness.

The old woman was wrong. Rose truly didn’t have an inkling of what was coming.

But the two strangers from the store were right about one thing: she had indeed thought he forgot her birthday. He couldn’t keep her waiting until tomorrow if she had already doubted that he remembered. Plus, as clueless as she was about it, he felt as though his perfect surprise was a fragile secret to have to maintain, especially involving making her family – her own mother – lie like that.

He stroked the shiny new TARDIS console and she let out a “ding!”

His heart fluttered in anticipation as a cashier’s drawer ejected itself to his left. Inside laid two glowing keys – one silver and one gold. Inscribed on the silver one was the physician’s rod-and-snake. On the gold one, of course, a blooming, perfect rose.

Reaching out for them reverently, he squeaked when they burned his fingers. The little TARDIS laughed as the glow faded from the keys. He scowled at her rotor and picked them up. The silver he tucked away safely in his pocket, but the gold he placed in the extra empty jewelry box and added a tiny blue bow.

The other jewelry box he placed in the cashier’s drawer. It clicked back into place, safe inside the console.

It was time.

* * *

He bounced his knee all throughout dinner, but Rose pretended not to notice. Surely saying something would make him even more nervous than he was about… whatever it was. Or he could just be hyper. Or distracted. Or god knows what with this man. Some days she felt like she knew him better than she knew herself, and other days he was a complete mystery. It drove her mad, but then, it also kept things exciting. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

He kept shooting her adoring but anxious glances while they cleaned up. She was a second away from asking what mischief he had gotten himself into this time when he put away the last dish, took her hand, and smiled.

“Ok, I give in. What’re you on about?”

“Come with me.” His tone of voice wasn’t at all what she expected from the enthusiasm on his face. Instead, he invited her with a velvet rumble and those sinfully dark chocolate eyes, begging her to play along. He ran a hand up and down her arm before taking her hand.

“Oh,” she exhaled. “Mkay.”

He led her out to the back garden where the luminescence of the TARDIS shone bright against the twilight. The April showers had already encouraged spring flowers to bud along their path, and a light breeze made the new leaves rustle in the trees above them.

It was the time of year for all things to arise fresh, resurrected into hope and life once more.

And how fitting, for what the Doctor pulled out of his pocket, Box #1, was just that: a new start.

“Happy birthday, Rose.”

She gasped as she saw the box with its tiny bow. She hesitated, however, unsure of what she would find inside. It did look an _awful_ lot like a… well. Not that she expected to ever receive one of _those_ from him. He didn’t believe in silly human rituals like that, she was sure of it. Still, just in case, she waited to see if he happened to get down on one knee.

Nope. He bit his lip above her, trying to hold in his excited grin, watching expectantly for her to open it.

Not what it looked like then. Gifts from the Doctor rarely were.

But what she found inside was no disappointment.

“Oh, Doctor!” Her eyes widened and she bounced on her toes. “You’re serious? She’s ready?”

“Yup.” He tugged on his ear. “She just gave me the keys tonight, actually. Good timing, don’t you think?”

“Perfect!” She squealed and threw her arms around him.

He hummed happily as he held her tight. She pushed away after a long moment, however, and lowered her gaze as she tugged a thin but unbreakable chain out from around her neck, the one piece of jewelry she never took off.

“Is it ok… Can I?” she asked with a timidity he had rarely seen in her.

“Allow me.” He unlatched the necklace and threaded the new gold key to sit next to her old one before securing it back in place.

She rubbed at the two metal pieces resting between her breasts, the symbols of her past with him and her future with him side by side. Just thinking about the juxtaposition made her want to snog him silly.

So she did.

* * *

He took his key out, showed it to her with pride, and unlocked the door of their new TARDIS for the first time. Once inside, he turned around to catch her reaction. A laugh bubbled up as one of his favorite memories played out in front of him once more.

“What?” she asked for the second time that night.

“It’s just… that’s exactly what you looked like when we stepped back on the TARDIS after your first trip. Like you were so glad to be home, yet still so in awe of it even existing.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” she laughed. “It’s real. It is real, isn’t it? I’m not dreaming this?”

“It’s real,” he reassured her with an arm around her shoulder as she surveyed the finished control panel. She’d already spent enough time inside to bond with the ship and had practiced the landing sequence enough to know it in her sleep, but he had purposely kept things a little disassembled, unpolished, leaving out just the finishing touches to preserve that wonder he was seeing on her face right now.

“Can we take her for a spin?” That old familiar manic energy sparked in her, and he was reminded of why she was his perfect match.

“Oh yes! In fact, I have a long weekend away planned for us. Provided she doesn’t take us where _she_ wants to go instead, of course.” He sniffed at the cheeky ship. “But first, I have one more birthday present for you. Sit on the jump seat and close your eyes.”

At her completion of his instructions, the TARDIS popped out the cashier’s drawer with its “ding!” Rose’s eyes popped open as she laughed at the noise, but she furrowed her brow in confusion as she saw an identical box to the one she had already “unwrapped.”

He held the box in one hand and took a deep breath. He wanted to remember this forever. The way she swung her jean-clad legs, the way her swoop-necked top accentuated her perfect breasts, the way the time rotor reflected across her skin. This was a sight he once thought he might never behold again.

He took in a different angle, however, as he sunk to one knee in front of her.

Rose’s mouth fell open in shock. The hope and yet, caution, in her expression was clear for him to read. Even now, she couldn’t let herself believe this was really happening, and that broke his heart a little. And spurred him into action.

“Rose Tyler, I’ve loved you throughout all of space and time. I’ve loved you across universes and dimensions. I’ve loved you in three bodies now. Three lifetimes. And, as you know, this is my last. We’ve already promised to grow old together. But would you do me the honor of living this one human life as my wife?”

She swallowed back the lump in her throat, willing the happy tears to stay in their place and not run down her cheeks. It was a lost cause.

“Yes,” she finally whispered. “Oh god, yes!”

“Good! Hoped you might say that. Because I got you this.”

He flipped open the lid of Box #2 to reveal the most stunning engagement ring Rose had ever seen.

“Gorgeous,” she marveled as he slipped it on her finger.

He pulled her up with him as he stood, and she promptly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to meet her kiss. Their lips slid over one another, then open to allow their tongues to play. Nearly as soon as they separated to breathe, they were drawn back together, over and over. After a very long time, she backed just out of reach of his mouth and stared up at him with all the love in the world in her eyes.   

“Guess what, Future Husband?”

“What’s that, Future Wife?”

“We are gonna have a _fantastic_ life.”

“Together.”

And with that, he launched them into the vortex.

* * *

The next morning, he woke her up with kisses along her bare shoulder.

“Happy birthday, my love.”

“Mmm, ‘s already a good one,” she mumbled as he moved down to worship her body. “The best.”

Her mind woke further as he set her skin on fire with his kisses and licks and nips and touches.

“Doctor?”

“Mhmm?” He glanced up briefly but didn’t stop.

“Hey, up here.” She tugged on his hair just as he reached her stomach. “I have a strange question that only you can answer.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best.” He settled in on his elbows above her.

“How old am I?” She giggled at the absurdity of having to ask. “I mean, I know what my fake ID here says, but how old am I really, including our time together before and the differences between dimensions and stuff?”

“Today really is your 25th birthday, Rose. Somehow, and I’ll never know how, but you happened to get it exactly right when you guessed your age coming here, which, considering the time change between dimensions, as you mentioned, and our non-linear lifestyle, is quite a feat.”

“Hmm. Five years till 30. Wonder where we’ll be in five years.”

“Tell you what, to make up for it just being the two of us this year, I’ll throw you a big party.” He rolled onto his back and took her with him. She sat up to properly straddle his hips.

“Really? Like one of mum’s galas?” She didn’t hide her surprise.

“Only in one respect.”

“And what’s that?”

“I can already tell you we’ll be late arriving.”

“And how do you know that?” she laughed as he rubbed circles up her thigh with his thumb.

“Same as always. You’re too irresistible in those gowns.”

“So you’re already planning on being late to my 30th birthday party, in 2016, because we’ll be busy shagging at the last minute?”

“Yep. Alright with you?”

“More than.”

And with that, they decided if they had five years to look forward to such an occasion, it wouldn’t hurt to get some practice. 

 


End file.
